Preheat oven to 350°. Grease two 9-inch cake pans, line with rounds of parchment and grease the parchment; set aside.

In medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder; set aside.

In large bowl or mixer, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla on high for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in mayonnaise at low speed until blended. Alternately beat in flour mixture with coffee, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Divide evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 26-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.

Let cakes cool about 20 minutes, then remove to cooling racks (remove parchment if it's stuck to the cakes) to cool completely.

Place chopped chocolate into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave, stopping to stir frequently, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Let the chocolate cool until lukewarm, stirring occasionally.

Beat butter in large bowl until smooth and creamy (I used my stand mixer with the paddle attachment). Sift powdered sugar over butter and beat until well blended, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Add melted chocolate and beat until well blended, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

NOTES! Original recipe calls for three 8 x 1.5 inch round cake pans and make three layers cake. I used two 9 x 3 inch round cake pans and made two layers cake. My 9 inch cake layer was between 1.5- 2 inch thick when baked. You have enough frosting for either two layers of 9 inch cake or three layers of 8 inch cake.

Preheat oven to 350°F, grease two 9 inch diameter pans with at least 2.5 inch high sides or three 8 inch- cake pans with 1.5-2-inch-high sides, line the bottom of each pan with circle of parchment paper, set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.

In a medium heat proof bowl combine cocoa powder and chopped chocolate. Pour with 1 3/4 cups boiling water and stir until all chocolate is melted and the mixture looks smooth.

In a large bowl mix both sugars and mayonnaise until well blended.

Add one by one eggs at the time and mix well after each addition. Mix in vanilla.

Alternately add flour mixture in 4 additions and chocolate mixture in 3 additions. Mix well after each addition. Start with ¼ flour mixture, mix, add 1/3 chocolate mixture, mix and continue until all ingredients are added and well blended.

Divide cake batter among prepared cake pans and bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean(30 to 32 minutes for 8 inch pans or 35-40 minutes for 9 inch pans0. Do not overbake or the cake will be dry!!!

Cool cakes in pans on for 15-20 minutes, then run small knife around sides of cakes to loosen and carefully invert cakes onto racks to cool completely.

To make the frosting melt 10 oz. chopped chocolate and set aside to cool.

Beat softened butter until smooth and creamy. Gradually add sifted powdered sugar and mix until well blended. Mix in vanilla.

DIRECTIONS:
TO MAKE THE CHOCOLATE CAKE LAYERS:
1. Prepare three 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom, and grease the sides. Preheat oven to 300°F (148°C).
2. Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl and combine.
3. Add eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil and vanilla to the dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Slowly add water. Mix well.
5. Divide batter evenly between cakes pans and bake for about 30-33 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
6. Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove to cooling racks to cool completely.

WHILE CAKES COOL, MAKE THE CARAMEL SAUCE AND ICING:
7. Pour sugar into an even layer in a large saucepan.
8. Heat on medium-high heat, whisking the sugar until melted. The sugar will clump up first, but will eventually completely melt. This will take about 10 minutes.
9. Once the sugar has melted, stop whisking and allow to cook until the sugar has turned to a little darker amber color. You may notice a nutty aroma. The change in color will happen quickly, so don’t let it go too long or get too dark or it’ll burn. Remove caramel from the heat.
10. Add butter and whisk until combined. The mixture will bubble up, but keep whisking until all the butter has melted and combined.
11. Slowly pour the heavy cream into the caramel and whisk until incorporated.
12. Cool for about 10-15 minutes before using.
13. Set aside about 1/3 cup of caramel sauce, then transfer remaining caramel sauce to a mixing bowl.
14. Slowly add powdered sugar and milk and mix until smooth. You can add more or less milk to get the right consistency for the icing. For help with getting the right consistency, check out this post.

TO PUT CAKE TOGETHER:
15. Make the ganache by adding the chocolate chips to a metal or glass bowl.
16. Microwave the heavy whipping cream until boiling, then pour over the chocolate chips. Cover bowl with clear wrap for about 5 minutes.
17. Whisk chocolate until smooth. Microwave in 5-10 second increments as needed, if chocolate isn’t fully smooth and melted.
18. When the cakes are cool, remove the tops of the cakes with a large serrated knife so they are flat.
16. Place the first layer of cake on cake stand. Top with 1 cup of the caramel icing and spread into an even layer. Top icing with about 1/4 cup of chopped pecans, then drizzle with some chocolate ganache and caramel sauce.
17. Add second layer of cake and icing and add another 1/4 cup of chopped pecans, caramel sauce and chocolate ganache.
18. Top cake with remaining cake layer.
19. Pour remaining ganache over the cake and allow it to drizzle down the sides of the cake. Refrigerate until the ganache is firm.
20. There should have been a little caramel icing left. Use that to pipe caramel icing around the top edges of the cake, then sprinkle with remaining chopped pecans and drizzle with caramel sauce.

Chop the sweet potatoes into one inch thick pieces and throw into a food processor. Pulse the sweet potato into tiny pieces and set aside.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the vegetable oil, eggs, egg white, vanilla extract and granulated sugar. Whisk together until well combined, and mixture turns lighter in color.

Add the sour cream and mix until combined.

Slowly add the cocoa powder and beat into the batter

In a separate small bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and baking powder and whisk together. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix slowly with a spatula until about half of the flour is incorporated. Add the sweet potato pieces and mix only until the flour is blended, being careful not to over mix.

Pour the batter into three 8-inch pan and bake at 350°F and baking for 18 to 22 minutes. To see if the cake is done, stick a toothpick into the cake and if the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done. Cool completely.

For the frosting: Cut the butter into pieces. Using the paddle attachment, whip the butter for 3-4 minutes, scraping down the bowl occasionally. Beat until butter looks light in color.

Add the brown sugar and cinnamon, beating until combined. 4 cups powdered sugar, one cup at a time and mix on low speed until incorporated into butter. The frosting will start to thicken.

Begin to alternate heavy whipping cream and maple syrup while alternating in additional cups of powdered sugar until all the powdered sugar. Continue beating until all ingredients are combined and then beat it at a high speed for 2 minute to whip some additional air into the frosting.

To build the cake: Even out the top of the cake by cutting off the dome using a serrated knife.

Place a dollop of frosting on the bottom of the cake plate and place the bottom layer of cake on top. The frosting will help prevent the cake from sliding.

In order to create even layers, I use a piping bag fitted with an open round tip, or simply cut off the end of the piping bag. I also highly suggest using a lazy Susan to rotate the cake as you work.

Fill the first layer of frosting by using your piping bag and pipe from the outside edge into the center. Gently spread the frosting with an offset spatula to fill in the gaps.

Place the next layer of cake on top and repeat the above instructions to fill the layer of frosting.

For the top layer of cake, place it inverted, so the bottom of the cake is actually the top, creating a nice and smooth top edge.

Proceed to add your crumb coat by adding a cup of frosting to the top of the cake and gently spread out to the edges and down the sides. Use the leftover frosting in your piping bags to fill in the cracks between the layers.

Using an offset spatula or icing smoother, wipe away the excess frosting, leaving you just enough to coat the outside of the cake. Do not mix your crumb coating frosting back into your icing if it has cake debris in it. Refrigerate the cake for 15-20 minutes to allow the crumb coat to harden.

Remove the cake from the refrigerator and proceed to the remaining frosting to the top and edges of the cake. To get a nice smooth edge, use your offset spatula and icing smoother to wipe away excess frosting.

Then take your flat angled spatula and very gently press it onto the bottom edge of the cake, rotate the lazy Susan, continuing to press the knife into the cake until it reaches the top edge. This will create the rippled effect on the sides of the cake.

Take the extra frosting and pipe florets on top of the cake.

To make the ganache, microwave the chocolate chips together with the heavy cream for 30 seconds, stirs and return to the microwave for another 30 seconds or until the chocolate is melted. Drizzle with a spoon down the sides of your cake.

Note: If you can't find the seasonal flavor of the Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk, you can substitute 1 cup of caramel flavored syrup, (found in the ice cream section of your grocer). If it's too thick to pour, heat in microwave according to package instructions before pouring over cake.

Instructions

Bake cake according to package instructions. Let cool for 10 minutes. Punch holes in top of cake using the handle of a wooden spoon.

Pour can of Eagle Brand Caramel Flavored Sweetened Condensed Milk over the top of cake. Spread to make sure it gets into all of the holes. Put cake in refrigerator for 1 hour. Frost cake with chocolate frosting. Add nuts and chocolate chips on top. Drizzle with caramel syrup. Slice and serve. Store covered in refrigerator for up to 5 days

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare three 9 inch cake pans by place parchment paper in the bottom and spraying the sides with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the salt, red wine, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla, and eggs. Pour the wine mixture into the flour mixture and stir until smooth. The batter will be thin.

Distribute the batter evenly between the three pans and bake until a tooth pick comes out with just a few crumbs, 22 to 25 minutes. Remove from the cake pan a few minutes after baking, remove parchment paper, and let it cool completely.

To make the frosting, puree the raspberries until smooth. Strain to remove the seeds. You should have approximately 1/2 a cup of raspberry puree. Beat the butter and vegetable shortening until smooth. Add the raspberry puree. Slowly add the powdered sugar one cup at a time until it is all added and the frosting is smooth.

After the cakes have cooled, remove the dome tops from two of them. Place the first of those two on the cake stand. Add one cup of the frosting. Add the second cake, with the removed dome top. Add another cup of frosting. Finally, add the third layer. Pipe on dollops of frosting using an 808 icing tip. Hold the tip approximately 1/2 an inch over the top of the cake and put pressure on the frosting bag, piping a dollop of frosting onto the edge of the cake, releasing once it has spread outwards, touching the dollop next to it. (It's helpful to practice on a plate first.) Make a ring of dollops around the outside of the cake, and then repeat, working your way inward.

Add sprinkles, and chocolate shavings to the top of the cake. A vegetable peeler works well to create chocolate shavings.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until light and creamy. Beat in the milk until well combined.

Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt, mixing them through the wet ingredients. Pour in the coffee and beat the batter until fluffy, well combined and smooth (about 1 minute). Set aside.

For The Cheesecake Mixture:

Beat the cheesecake ingredients together until smooth and lump free (about one minute on low speed).

Assemble Cake:

Evenly pour half of the cake batter into the prepared pan. Pour ⅓ of the cream cheese mixture over the cake layer (don't swirl it through). Pour the remaining cake batter over the cream cheese; then pour the remaining cream cheese mixture over the top to evenly cover the cake.

Bake in preheated oven for 50 - 55 minutes, or until the centre is just set (it will have a very slight wobble to it). If you find it is browning after 30 minutes, tent with foil being careful the foil does not stick to the cheesecake). Slightly open oven door and keep it ajar with the cheesecake still in the oven for 20 minutes to allow the cheesecake to set further.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for two hours. By this stage, it will be soft but set enough to serve slightly warm. OR cover with foil and refrigerate for 6 hours or over night.

For The Chocolate Yogurt Glaze:

Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments; stirring after each until completely melted. Lightly mix the yogurt through the chocolate until just combined (don't beat it or the chocolate will seize and harden).

For The Peanut Butter Yogurt Glaze:

Beat all ingredients well until smooth, lump free and combined.

Frost Cake:

Once cake has chilled, remove from baking pan onto serving plate. Spread the chocolate glaze evenly around the sides of the cake with a thin, straight spatula. Spread the peanut butter frosting over the top of the cake. Decorate with crushed chocolate chips and peanut butter chips (I blended them in a small magic bullet cup or small food processor).

NOTES
*The coffee CANNOT be tasted in the cake and just intensifies the chocolate flavour. BUT you can replace with ¼ cup plain water if you wish
**Use a yogurt you like the taste of. One not too bitter, or the bitterness will come out in the frosting
***Please don't be tempted to NOT line your baking tin. The cake will stick to the sides without the parchment or baking paper

Combine sugar, butter, half the milk and chocolate in a saucepan over medium low heat. Stir until the butter and chocolate has melted and sugar is dissolved. Do NOT let it simmer or boil!

Pour the chocolate mixture into a bowl. Whisk in oil and remaining milk.

Whisk in eggs in until combined.

Sift cocoa, baking powder, flour and coffee directly into the bowl. Whisk until smooth - some small lumps is ok.

Pour into the cake tin and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. The surface will crack (sometimes badly!) but sill subside when it cools and gets covered with frosting so don't stress!

Remove sides from the cake pan and transfer to a cooling rack to cool.

Ganache (Note 5)

Place chocolate in a bowl.

Place cream in a saucepan over medium high heat. When it is about to start simmering, remove it - don't let it come to a boil! Pour cream over the chocolate, shake the bowl to submerge all the chocolate under the cream. Cover bowl with a plate and set aside for 5 minutes.

Stir chocolate with a spoon until smooth. Refrigerate for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until thickened to a spreadable consistency like peanut butter.

Spread over the cake - tops and sides. Use a teaspoon in a swirling motion to achieve the textured surface you see in the photos.

Recipe Notes
1. I use Nestle Plaistow 70% Cocoa dark cooking chocolate. But any dark chocolate from the baking aisle will work just fine! Don't use eating chocolate - it doesn't melt properly.
1a. Normal white / granulated sugar works ok too.
2. You must use HEAVY cream / THICKENED cream for this, not pouring cream. The cream needs to have 35% fat or more in order to ensure the ganache sets.
3. Fan forced / convectional ovens are those with a fan inside that circulates the air which allows things to cook faster and more evenly. Conventional ovens are those without fans which means the heat needs to be slightly higher.
4. You can also use a 28cm x 18cm cake pan OR 2 x 22cm/9" cake pans.
5. The chocolate ganache is pourable when warm, thickens to a spreadable consistency when mostly cooled (which is what you want to frost this cake) and when refrigerated for a few hours, hardens to a chocolate truffle consistency. If you leave it in the fridge for slightly too long i.e. too hard to spread, just microwave for 10 seconds to soften.
6. DIFFERENT COUNTRIES: This recipe is actually quite forgiving because it's so moist and fudgey so as long as you don't get the measurements way out, it will come out well. I am in Australia and have made this cake using both Imperial measurements (used by most of the world) and US measurements and I could not tell the difference. For example, 2 sticks of butter (8oz) does not equal 250g (which is 8.8oz), however, the recipe still works perfectly (also helps that US cups is slightly smaller than Aus cups).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and spray two nine-inch baking pans with baking spray. Cut four 1 inch by 12 inch strips of parchment paper and arrange them in an "X" across each of the baking pans. This will give you "tabs" to remove the cakes from the pans after they are baked.

Add eggs, milk, oil, and extracts. Beat the ingredients together with a hand mixer on low speed, and then gradually increase to medium speed for about 2 minutes.

Slowly stir in the boiling water by hand. The batter will be very thin. Don't worry!

Evenly divide the batter between the two baking pans and bake for 33-35 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out mostly clean, or with a few crumbs attached.

Let the pans cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, and then place into the freezer for 1 hour.

FOR THE CHOCOLATE WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING

Over a large bowl, sift powdered sugar and cocoa powder together. Add heavy cream and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed (carefully at first) and gradually increase the speed to high as the mixture thickens. After about 3-4 minutes, you will have stiff peaks in the cream and it will be ready to use for frosting.

TO ASSEMBLE

Place a few more strips of parchment or wax paper around the edge of your cake plate or pan. This will keep the surface clean while you are frosting. Place the first cake (domed side down) onto the center of the plate.

Remove the cakes from the freezer, and use the tabs to lift them out.

Scoop about 2 cups of frosting on top of the cake and spread to the edges in an even layer.

Place the second cake (domed side up) on top of the frosting layer. Add more frosting to the top of the cake, and spread to the edges and down the sides. Keep adding more frosting until the cake is completely covered.

Use a knife or offset spatula to smooth the edges. I like to drag a spoon around the top of the cake to make a spiral design. If desired, reserve 1 cup of frosting to pipe around the bottom edge of the cake to cover any gap after you remove the parchment paper strips. Add chocolate sprinkles.

Cover (if possible) and refrigerate until ready to serve. I think this cake tastes best served cold on the day after it is made, which is nice because you can make it ahead and have it all ready to go.

The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe - A one bowl chocolate cake recipe that is quick, easy, and delicious! Updated with gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free options!

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon espresso powder

1 cup milk, buttermilk, almond, or coconut milk

½ cup vegetable, canola oil, or melted coconut oil

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by spraying with baking spray or buttering and lightly flouring.

For the chocolate cake:

Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk through to combine or, using your paddle attachment, stir through flour mixture until combined well.

Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed and carefully add boiling water to the cake batter until well combined.

Distribute cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of the chocolate cake comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, remove from the pan and cool completely.

Frost cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.

Notes
The cake batter will be very thin after adding the boiling water. This is correct and results in the most delicious and moist chocolate cake I've ever tasted! xo

If you are looking for the perfect chocolate cake recipe, you’ve found it! You will need a glass of milk to wash down this rich and chocolaty cake!

INGREDIENTS:
For the cake:

1 cup unsalted butter, plus more for the pan

1/3 cup cocoa powder (we use Dutch processed)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup water

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the chocolate glaze:

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons corn syrup (or agave nectar)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 10 or 12-cup Bundt pan and set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa powder, salt, and water and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring, just until melted and combined. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and baking soda. Add half of the melted butter mixture and whisk until completely blended. The mixture will be thick. Add the remaining butter mixture and whisk until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until completely blended. Whisk in the sour cream (or Greek yogurt) and the vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then invert onto a rack. Let cool completely before glazing.

While the cake is cooling, make the chocolate glaze. Place the chopped chocolate and corn syrup (or agave) in a medium bowl and set aside. Combine the heavy cream and sugar in a small saucepan and put over medium heat. Stir until the cream is hot and the sugar is dissolved. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until smooth.

Generously drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Cut into pieces and serve.

This Lemon Swiss Roll Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Filling is a perfect tangy and sweet summery dessert! Step by step photos and method included in the recipe.

Ingredients
For the Lemon Swiss Roll Cake

3 eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons lemon juice (from about 2 medium lemons)

1 tablespoon lemon zest (from about 2 medium lemons)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup all purpose flour

Powdered sugar (to help in rolling the cake)

For the Lemon Cream Cheese Filling

8 oz full-fat softened cream cheese

1/4 cup unsalted softened butter

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Garnish

Icing sugar, for dusting

Lemon slices

Instructions
For the Lemon Swiss Roll Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 F (176 C) and prepare a 10 x 15 inch cookie sheet by lining it with foill. Grease the foil with oil, and flour it well. This will help to ensure that the cake does not stick to the foil.

In a medium bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) beat the eggs on high speed for about 2-3 minutes, until pale and frothy.

Add in the sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest. Beat on high speed until well combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the salt, baking powder and flour. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and stir until just combined. Do not over mix.

Pour the cake batter onto the prepared cookie sheet. You may have to use a spatula to spread out the batter over the cookie sheet and the batter will be spread out in a very thin layer.

Bake for about 10-11 minutes.

While the cake is baking, spread out a clean kitchen towel and sprinkle liberally with icing sugar (this is to ensure that when the cake is placed onto the kitchen towel, it will not stick).

As soon as the cake is done, take it out of the oven, and carefully turn it over onto the prepared kitchen towel. Gently peel off the foil, and working quickly start rolling the kitchen towel to roll the cake from the shorter edge. Let cool completely.

For the Lemon Cream Cheese Filling

In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until smooth and well combined. This will take about 1-2 minutes, and you should scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.

Add the sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla, and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes until well combined and thick.

Assembling the Lemon Swiss Roll

Once the cake has completely cooled down, unroll it from the kitchen towel. Spread the cream cheese filing liberally, making sure that it covers all ends. Gently roll back the cake into shape, and cover with cling film. Cool for about 2 hours in the refrigerator or overnight.

When ready to serve, unwrap the cling film, dust the cake with icing sugar and decorate with lemon slices.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a 12-mold cupcake tin with paper liners and lightly spray the liners with non-stick spray, set aside. In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, set aside. In a small bowl combine the milk and sour cream, mix well to combine and set aside. In a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer (or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) beat the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy; about 4 minutes (don't skimp on time here!). Beat in the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add in flour mixture in 2 additions, alternating with sour cream/milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Finally stir in the hot water, beating just until combined.

Fill the prepared cupcake tins 3/4 of the way full. Bake in preheated oven for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Once cooled, use a small sharp knife to carve out a small hole in the center of each cupcake; do not discard the carved out cake piece. Fill each hole with two teaspoons of caramel sauce, then cover again with the carved out cupcake piece. Set aside and make the salted caramel frosting.

For the Salted Caramel Frosting:

In a medium-sized saucepan, placed over medium-heat, combine the butter, cream, brown sugar, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar melts and the mixture comes to a low simmer; about 4 minutes. Remove the mixture from heat and let it cool for 2 minutes, then transfer the mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add 2 cups of confectioners' sugar to the bowl and beat on medium-low speed until well combined. Add in remaining confectioners' sugar and beat smooth, then increase speed to medium and beat for 5 full minutes. Place frosting in the fridge for 15 minutes, stir, then frost cooled cupcakes as desired.

Decoration:

Top each frosted cupcake with a drizzle of caramel sauce, a pinch of flaky sea salt, and half of a caramel candy.

Notes
*Cupcakes may be frozen, unfrosted, for up to 2 months. *Cupcakes must cool completely before being frosted.

Preheat oven to 350 and line muffin tins with liners. Place an Oreo in the bottom of each liner.

In the bowl of a mixer, combine cake mix, eggs, melted butter, and water. Mix on low speed for one minute. Increase speed to high and beat for a minute more. Fill liners 2/3 full and bake for about 20 minutes or until tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched.

While cupcakes cool, make your filling.

Prepare filling: In the bowl of your mixer, beat butter, vanilla and whipping cream on medium low speed. Add marshmallow cream and beat on medium until smooth. Slowly beat in powdered sugar until just barely mixed. Increase speed to high and beat for one minute, until fluffy. Frost cake and serve.

Once cupcakes are cooled completely, fill the cupcakes. You can do this by cutting a small hole in the top of the cupcake and spooning the filling in, or putting the filling in a pastry bag with a bismarck tip and piping it in through the top of the cupcake.

In the bowl of a mixer, beat butter, cream, and vanilla on medium-low until smooth and well-combined. Slowly add powdered sugar. Once powdered sugar is barely mixed in, increase speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes. Fold in crushed Oreos.

Generously frost or pipe frosting on cupcakes and top with a mini Oreo if desired.

In a separate mixing bowl add the butter, sugar and lemon zest and mix with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the whole eggs and mix well. Add the egg whites one at a time, mixing after each. Stir in the vanilla.

Alternately add in a little bit of the flour mixture and then the buttermilk stirring between each addition.

Divide batter evenly between the two prepared round cake pans. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center of the cakes comes out clean, about 24-29 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool several minutes in the pans, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Lemon Cake (CAKE MIX version):

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease and flour two 9'' round baking pans. Set aside.

Add the cake mix and pudding mix to a large bowl and stir to combine. Add Greek yogurt, water, oil, and eggs and mix with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined, about 2 minutes. Pour evenly into prepared round pans. Bake in preheated oven for 24-29 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Don’t overbake or the cake will be dry!

For the frosting:

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with electric mixers for 1 minute. Add 4 cups of powdered sugar, half of the lemon juice and the lemon zest. Beat well until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, and the remaining lemon juice until you reach your desired frosting consistency. Frost cake once the cake is completely cool.

This Perfect Lemon Pound Cake is the ultimate no-fail Spring dessert recipe that's moist and tender and made with fresh lemons!

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)

1 1/2 cups white sugar

zest of 2 large lemons

5 eggs

1/3 cup sour cream (full fat)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Grease a loaf pan with butter and add a piece of parchment paper along the bottom and up two of the sides for easy removal. Grease the parchment paper as well, just to be sure nothing will stick.

Add the butter to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on high speed until the butter is pale in colour (about 4 minutes).

Add the sugar and beat on high speed until the mixture is extra light and fluffy (about 7-10 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl every few minutes). The mixture should turn a pale yellow colour and be quite fluffy after 7 minutes.

Beat in the eggs one or two at a time and continue beating on high speed after they've all been added to incorporate even more air into the batter.

Add the sour cream and the vanilla to the bowl and beat for another minute or so, scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated.

Add the lemon zest and beat on high speed until combined.

Add the flour and salt to the mixing bowl and fold it into the wet ingredients by hand using a rubber spatula. Be sure to do this carefully so you don't deflate the batter as the flour is incorporated. Folding requires that you scrape the bottom of the bowl and use an "up and over" motion. Do not stir, as this will break the air bubbles you've created by beating the ingredients up until this point. This cake contains no leavening agent, so the bubbles in the batter are what will keep it from sinking in the middle as it bakes.

Carefully scrape the batter into the loaf pan you've prepared.

Bake for 65-75 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. After 65 minutes, test the cake by gently inserting a wooden skewer in the centre. If it comes out clean, it's done! If not, return the cake to the oven for another 5 minutes and test again.

When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and let it rest in the pan for about 10 minutes.

Remove it from the loaf pan using the parchment paper to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.

In mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add in dry ingredients and mix until combined. Slowly add in egg white mixture. Beat in remaining buttermilk.

Pour evenly into cake pans. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 25-28 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Remove and cool in cake pans 5 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.

For the filling, beat butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar and 2 Tbsp lemon curd in a mixing bowl for 3-5 minutes, until fluffy. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix topping ingredients until crumbly. It's easiest to use your hands and just crumble the butter with flour and sugar until pea size. Set aside.

To assemble cake. Lay first layer of cake on a cake stand. Top with all but 1/2 cup of cream cheese filling. Add 1/2 cup lemon curd and 1/2 cup dry cake topping. Top with second layer of cake. Spread remaining 1/2 cup lemon curd on top and remaining 1/2 cup cream cheese filling. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the entire top of the cake. Refrigerate at least two hours.